Mono, braid, superbraid, fluoro, super cast, abrasion resistant, visibility, stretch, diameter — are these words you hear and read in ads for fishing line that you don’t really understand? If so, join the club. There is a huge selection of excellent fishing lines available for our preferred passion, but how can all of them be the best? Numerous fishermen have asked questions about fishing lines this year, so maybe it’s time to talk about them. Hopefully this help you get a line on lines.
One common question is, “Does the line really make that much difference?”
Before anyone at one of the large companies that make several brands and at least two dozen different lines goes into cardiac arrest, let me give the ultimate answer, which is, “Yes and no.”
This isn’t a hedging answer either. To someone with enough knowledge and experience to actually tell the differences between lines while fishing, the line makes a world of difference, but to someone just beginning, all that matters is it doesn’t tangle too badly and the knots hold to bring in whatever fish are biting.
As they gain more experience, fishermen will develop their own likes and dislikes, but in the beginning, all that matters is catching a few fish.
Enough lines are out there to confuse even a grizzled veteran who has caught freezers full of flounder, trout, king mackerel or tuna. Heck, many companies make enough different lines to be confusing, and when you look at them across the entire spectrum, the selection moves from confusing to daunting.
When I was younger, the choices were nylon, Dacron or mono — and most folks used mono. They were made by Trilene, Ande or Stren, but technology has advanced to the point it just isn’t that simple any more. The best example is Pure Fishing, the parent company of three line manufacturers — Berkley, Stren and Spiderwire — and each has several dozen choices within their own company.
The basic categories of fishing line now are: monofilament, superbraids, fluorocarbon, Dacron and hybrids. The first four have some general traits specific to their materials, which makes them favored for certain applications. The hybrids are attempts to combine the preferred traits of two, and occasionally three, of the four material groups.
Monofilament is a soft, plastic line that has been a fishing mainstay since the late 1950s. It is durable and relatively inexpensive and has been used in almost every fishery at one time or another. While different formulations may vary the amount, one trait inherent in all monofilament lines is stretch. Other traits include various degrees of abrasion resistance and softness (limpness), different diameters, degrees of castability, plus multiple finishes and colors.
By altering the combinations in the formula, line manufacturers are able to accentuate and promote several different traits in monofilament. Unfortunately, all the desirable traits can’t be combined into a single line, as anglers prefer different traits for different fishing applications. Several popular brands of monofilament include Ande, Berkley, Stren and Suffix.
Dacron is the low-stretch braided line that was popular until the modern superbraids captured a major share of that market. Dacron initially was developed as a line with virtually no stretch as an alternative to nylon lines, which had stretch. Dacron generally has a diameter comparable to standard monofilament. Not many companies still manufacturer Dacron, but one popular brand is Gudebrod.
I could not find any regular nylon fishing line on the shelves of any local tackle shops. A popular option for nylon line is inserting a lead core to help the line sink while trolling. Several companies that make leadcore line are Suffix, Magicbraid, Mason and Cortland. It is very popular in many freshwater applications.
The new generation superbraids are fabric lines with significantly smaller diameters and virtually no stretch. Some of the fabrics used include Spectra, Aramid and micro dyneema. Many of these lines also offer excellent abrasion resistance and have become preferred equipment for sheepshead fishing and other applications where a fish may immediately wrap the line around underwater structure. The lack of stretch makes these lines amazingly sensitive, even to very subtle bites. The smaller diameter deflects less in currents, which allows more finesse in presenting lures and baits. Several popular brands are Fireline, Spiderwire, Suffix Braid and Power Pro. Superbraid lines are typically very expensive.
Fluorocarbon is a new-generation plastic line that is virtually invisible when submerged in water. It is also very abrasion-resistant, has low stretch and is most often used for leader materials. However, several manufacturers have versions suitable for spooling reels. Fluorocarbon leader spools are available from Seaguar, Berkley, P-Line, Yo-Zuri and several other companies. Berkley, Seaguar and Yo-Zuri also offer fluorocarbon fishing lines. Fluorocarbon is fairly expensive.
Initially, hybrids were combinations of several different mono line formulas and were called co-polymer and tri-polymer lines. Now they even include several blends using fluorocarbon. The idea behind hybrid lines is to combine the desirable traits from several different formulations of lines with specific applications in mind. Hybrid lines are generally priced a little higher than monofilament, but lower than fluorocarbon or the superbraids.
The three main differences between monofilament and superbraid lines are diameter, stretch and knot-holding ability. The strength is similar for same pound-test lines, but the superbraid achieves that strength at 25 to 50 percent of the diameter of mono. A typical 15- to 20-pound test monofilament will cast well, ties and holds knots well and has a lot of stretch. A 20-pound test superbraid will cast similarly, has no stretch and requires special knots for maximum strength and to avoid slipping.
The lack of stretch in the superbraids was initially an issue with some rods, as their technology relied on the stretch of monofilament. Some anglers went through several broken rods before backing off their drag a little and allowing technology to catch up. There were also guides that worked well with mono but weren’t durable enough to handle the superbraids, which were definitely more abrasive. Rod technology has caught up, and it is rare to find a mid- to upper-level rod that doesn’t handle all lines well.
One fisherman pointed out the knots for braid and fluorocarbon weren’t necessarily special, but were engineered for the characteristics of those lines. He said we only considered them special because we learned knots intended for mono and Dacron first. That is a good way to look at it, and the only point to really be important is a knot has to be strong and not slip to be effective, so learning the proper knots and tying them properly may even be a little more important now than in the past.
A big question remains. “Are superbraid and fluorocarbon lines worth the extra money?” My answer is a little evasive, but it should suffice when I say they may be worth the extra costs, but they aren’t the best lines line for all kinds of fishing. There are techniques and applications where they excel, but there are also techniques and applications where I prefer monofilament.
The stretch of monofilament is a benefit that helps prevent pulled hooks when live-bait fishing for king mackerel and tearing soft mouths when jigging for gray trout. My friend C.A. Richardson of Flats Class TV also prefers mono for topwater baits for specks and reds. He believes that by the time you feel the fish on mono, it has the lure in its mouth and you can set the hook.
However, whenever fishing where a finesse presentation is needed, the smaller diameter and lack of stretch in a superbraid will generally be superior. The best example of this is working a light lure in current. The reduced stretch also increases sensitivity, and that helps when trying to detect the subtle bite of sheepshead or dropping a jig or even chunks of bait through subsurface currents for grouper. The lack of stretch definitely makes for better hook-sets.
Many years back, one of my mentors told me to always use the lightest sinker, jighead or lure that would get to the depth desired. The smaller diameter of a superbraid reduces current deflection and allows use of a lighter lure to get to the same depth. Lighter lures typically move more naturally, and this allows experienced fishermen to position a lure or bait just right to entice even finicky fish to bite.
The primary differences between monofilament and fluorocarbon are visibility and knot strength. While it looks very similar to monofilament, the properties of fluorocarbon are very different. Light passes through it without much reflection, and therefore, it becomes nearly invisible in the water. Fluorocarbon is an excellent leader material when fish are leader-shy. Typically, fluorocarbon is a little stiffer than monofilament, but several line manufacturers have developed softer fluorocarbon compounds and are still working with it. Fluorocarbon also has a little more abrasion resistance than most mono.
While it is approximately the same strength in similar diameters, fluorocarbon is not as user-friendly and forgiving as monofilament. As with superbraids, special knots work better with fluoro. The extra loops that prevented slipping in superbraids help prevent slipping and provide extra cushioning when used to tie fluorocarbon. Many knots that work well in mono will often create too much pressure in one spot and weaken a fluorocarbon knot to the point of breaking. With higher-strength and larger-diameter fluorocarbon lines, crimping is generally considered to be a better choice for connections than a knot. However, size-specific crimps and crimping tools must be used to avoid excess pressure, which can crush and weaken the line.
Hybrid lines are attempts to combine the best characteristics of two lines. It was originally done with mono lines, but has been expanded to include some mono/fluoro mixes and even a few experiments involving braids. Different manufacturers have worked for different combinations and there are numerous fishermen who like them.
I have minimal experience with hybrid lines, but it is more because of lack of time and opportunity than any unwillingness to try. I would welcome a line with the sensitivity and strength-to-diameter ratio of superbraid and the invisibility of fluorocarbon, but with visibility to the human eye and the forgiveness and versatility of monofilament. I realize this is a tall order and a reason why all these types of fishing lines are still popular. However, I can always hope someone discovers the formula soon.
Hopefully, this wasn’t too confusing and covered enough of the basics to get you to experiment a little and draw your own conclusions. Unfortunately, there isn’t one fishing line currently available that does everything well. The good news is, there are numerous manufacturers who are trying to find it and in that search they have developed some lines that are awesome for various applications.
When my preferred line is finally developed, I hope they name it High Tides and Tall Tales Line, because currently that is all it is. A line that good might be a mistake anyway. Where would we get fish stories if the fishing lines were all good enough, the “big ones” didn’t occasionally get away?
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